Airport neighborhood family arrested 2 days after standoff

After leaving an assault suspect barricaded inside his home following an hourlong standoff earlier this week, Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies on Thursday arrested the man, along with his brother and mother.

After leaving an assault suspect barricaded inside his home after an hourlong standoff earlier this week, Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies on Thursday arrested the man, along with his brother and mother.

Deputies and Modesto police officers on Tuesday surrounded the airport neighborhood home of brothers John and Fred Moreira after the elder brother Fred made threats to deputies and ran from them as they responded to a family fight.

Fred Moreira was suspected of assaulting his female cousin with a baseball bat, said sheriff’s Sgt. Keith Rakoncza.

During the standoff Tuesday, John Moreira came out of the house and was apprehended while officers tried to get his brother to surrender.

Dozens of officers and deputies staged outside the house for more than an hour when the lieutenant on scene called it off because the risk to public safety outweighed the alleged offense and the victim was uncooperative, Rakoncza said.

A warrant was issued for Fred Moreira’s arrest.

On Thursday morning, probation officers driving by the house on Santa Rita Avenue witnessed Fred Moreira assaulting the same cousin.

Deputies responded and started surveillance on the home about 11 a.m. About 12:30 p.m., Fred Moreira came out but ran when he saw deputies, who chased him inside his home, Rakoncza said.

There, Moreira’s mother allegedly assaulted one of the deputies and then John Moreira intervened while the deputy was trying to detain her.

In the end, the whole family was arrested.

Fred Moreira, 58, was found hiding in the backyard and was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon related to Tuesday’s incident and resisting arrest.

John Moreira, 52, was arrested on suspicion of obstructing an officer and violating his probation.

Their mother was arrested on suspicion of obstructing an officer and assault with a deadly weapon. Her name was not available Thursday and Rakoncza said he did not know what weapon she was suspected of using.